Crime falls in East Lancashire - but burglary and fraud are up

FRAUD, burglary and violent crime is up across Lancashire, according to new Home Office figures - but crime overall has dropped by 2.1 per cent.

The figures, released yesterday, show fraud and forgery increased by 9.6 per cent, by 241 crimes, from 2,498 to 2,739 crimes from September 2011 to September 2012.

Reports of burglary increased by 2.3 per cent, from 4,134 to 4,228, while violent crime increased by 1.2 per cent, from 21,006 reports to 21,257.

Overall, the county has seen 2,080 fewer victims of crime in comparison to the same period the year before.

During these dates 97,070 crimes were reported to Lancashire Constabulary, which had fallen from 99,150 in the previous 12 months.

Vehicle crime decreased by 1.8 per cent, from 8,754 to 8,595, theft by 2.5 per cent from 27,044 to 26,375, robbery by 15.6 per cent from 724 to 611, sexual offences by 0.1 per cent from 1521 to 1520, criminal damage by 7.5 per cent, from 19,477 to 18,009, and drug offences by three per cent, from 4,773 to 4,628 crimes.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Bates said there were a number of factors contributing to the rise of fraud and forgery.

Ipsoregulated

This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standardards Organisations's Editors' Code of Practice. If you have a compaint about editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then please contact the editor here. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can contact IPSO here